Female and minority founders face unique challenges in cannabis fundraising. But preparation is everything, and knowing what to do after you secure funding is just as critical as getting it.

This isn't just another cannabis funding webinar. This is a practical two-part playbook: how to position yourself for funding success as a woman or minority entrepreneur, and how to turn that capital into sustainable revenue once you have it.

What You'll Learn

Cannabis Funding Prep for Women & Minority Entrepreneurs

• How to position your business for funding success as a woman or minority entrepreneur

• What investors are actually looking for (and common misconceptions)

• Building your network and leveraging community for funding opportunities

• Lessons from raising capital for EventHi and building Blunt Brunch

• Resources and programs specifically for women and minority cannabis entrepreneurs

• How to tell your story in a way that resonates with funders

Post-Funding Execution Strategy for Cannabis Startups

• What to do in the first 90 days after securing capital

• Turning investment into revenue: prioritizing your spend

• Common mistakes that drain your runway (and how to avoid them)

• Building a marketing and growth strategy that delivers ROI

• Creating systems and processes that scale

• How Ernest's incubator helps BIPOC and social equity entrepreneurs execute after receiving grants

The Full Picture

This conversation covers both sides of the funding equation: getting ready to raise capital as a female or minority founder, and executing effectively once you have it. Whether you're pre-funding or post-funding, you'll walk away with actionable guidance.

Why This Matters Now

• Women receive only 2.3% of venture capital funding across all industries

• Minority founders face even steeper odds in securing traditional funding

• The cannabis funding gap is wider for female and BIPOC entrepreneurs

• Most founders who secure capital struggle with execution and burn through their runway

• Having a clear post-funding playbook is the difference between success and failure

Who Should Attend

• Cannabis entrepreneurs seeking funding

• Founders who've raised capital but need execution guidance

• Women and BIPOC entrepreneurs navigating funding challenges

What to Expect

This is a live, interactive conversation. We'll cover real challenges, real solutions, and leave time for your questions. You'll walk away with:

✓ A clear understanding of funding options available today

✓ Practical next steps based on your business stage

✓ Insights from entrepreneurs who've successfully navigated this journey

✓ Resources and connections to explore further

Why Your 2026 Cannabis Strategy Depends on Market Maturity

State market maturity determines your cannabis marketing strategy. What works in an early-stage market won’t work in a mature or highly competitive environment. As cannabis market growth accelerates across the U.S., operators need a 2026-ready strategy that adapts to each stage of maturity.

Who Needs a 2026 Cannabis Marketing Strategy?

• Dispensary Owners & Operators planning expansion or looking to optimize current markets

• MSO Marketing Teams managing multi-state campaigns across varying regulations

• Cannabis Brand Marketers navigating retailer relationships and direct-to-consumer strategies

• New Market Entrants preparing to launch in emerging markets

• Marketing Directors seeking compliant, measurable strategies to justify their budget

Module 1: Mature Market Mastery (CA, CO, WA, OR, MI)

When everyone's advertising, how do you stand out in 2026?

In mature markets, the rules have changed. You're no longer competing on novelty; you're competing on precision, brand loyalty, and operational excellence. This section of the webinar focuses on advanced cannabis marketing strategy principles designed for high-density, high-competition environments.

Module 2: Entering New Markets

You've won a license in a new state. Now what?

Expanding into a new market is expensive and risky. The operators who succeed enter with a clear go-to-market plan that accounts for local regulations, competitive dynamics, and customer education needs.

Module 3: Growth Market Foundations (IL, NJ, NY, OH, MD, and Emerging)

Build it right the first time.

Scale smart as competition increases, regulations stabilize, and your dispensary growth strategy becomes critical to long-term success.

Growth markets offer the biggest opportunities and risks. Get your foundation wrong, and you'll spend years (and millions) trying to correct it. This module focuses on building scalable systems aligned with long-term cannabis market growth.

Dispensary Discounts Are Killing Your Retention: How Culture, Community, and Experience Build Demand Without Discounting by Mediajel

AI is reshaping how consumers discover products and Reddit is quickly becoming one of the most influential signals behind what shows up in those searches. With OpenAI’s recent launch of native shopping inside ChatGPT, Reddit conversations are now more powerful than ever in shaping how products, brands, and education appear across AI search results.

In this session, we’ll break down how cannabis and CBD brands can use Reddit to influence what AI models “learn” about them and how to build a strategy that earns organic visibility in the new era of conversational shopping.

We’re joined by Danny Kirk, Founder of ReddiReach, and Filipe Lins Duarte, the co-founder of AI Peekaboo.

Danny will share how brands can authentically grow on Reddit through community-first strategies and platform-native engagement, helping cannabis marketers future-proof their visibility and reputation as AI increasingly draws from Reddit data.

Filipe will unpack how AI is reshaping search and brand discovery, showing how large language models, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, reference your brand, competitors, and content, helping marketers understand and improve their presence in AI-generated results.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How Reddit data is influencing AI search results and brand visibility

• Why and how authentic engagement on Reddit builds long-term SEO and AI discoverability

• A content framework to position your brand as the trusted source AI models reference

If you manage a dispensary, lead a cannabis brand, or run a marketing agency, this session will show you how to future-proof your digital presence in a world where AI answers are replacing Google results.

When it comes to cannabis, finding trustworthy product information can be a challenge. Budist is changing that. Built by industry insiders, Budist empowers consumers and certified cannabis experts to submit detailed product reviews using a 100-point rating system, creating a central hub for credible cannabis insights.

Join us for an exclusive conversation with the co-founder and CEO of Budist, Jocelyn Sheltraw, the industry’s first social review platform built to help cannabis consumers, experts, and brands connect through credible, transparent product ratings. Discover how expert-led and consumer-led reviews are changing the way cannabis products are bought, sold, and experienced.

In this live webinar, we’ll explore Budist’s origin story, the challenges of building a review-based platform in a regulated market, and the unique role expert reviews play in shaping buying behavior. 

What You’ll Learn

• How Budist Went from Idea to Industry First – The backstory, pivotal moments, and lessons learned building a cannabis review platform from the ground up.

• Why Credible Reviews Matter More Than Ever – The difference between expert-led and consumer-led reviews, and why both are critical for shaping purchase decisions.

• The Future of Cannabis Buying Behavior – How data-driven insights from Budist could influence the products you create, stock, or buy.

Whether you’re a cannabis brand looking to improve your products or a consumer who wants to make smarter choices, you’ll leave with a new understanding of how reviews can elevate the cannabis experience.‍

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Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!

Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJel

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/

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Let's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

Episode 3: Cannabis Price Wars: Escaping the Discount Death Spiral

The cannabis industry has been trapped in a cycle of discounting, racing to the bottom with steeper promos that shrink margins and train customers to buy only when prices drop. But there’s a smarter way forward. This session isn’t just about numbers, it’s about how to turn those signals into strategy.

We’ll be joined by Dennis O’Malley, Cannabis Industry Executive and Former CEO of Caliva, one of the first cannabis brands to pioneer omnichannel retail. He’ll share hard-won lessons from growing Caliva in one of the most competitive markets in the world, including how to navigate pricing pressure, when to use promotions strategically, and how to create value beyond price.

Whether you’re a dispensary tired of shrinking margins or a brand looking to hold the line on value, this conversation offers the roadmap to pull back strategically and profitably.

What You’ll Learn:

• Founder Insights: How Caliva scaled in California without leaning on deep discounts.

• Smarter Promotions: How to design offers that drive retention, upsell, and loyalty instead of margin loss.

• Strategic Playbook: A framework for repositioning your brand so customers see value and are willing to pay for it.

If you’ve been looking for a way out of the discount race but aren’t sure how to pivot without taking a hit, this session is for you. You’ll walk away with practical strategies used by the best in cannabis and CPG to grow sustainably.

Episode 2 of the Webinar Series: Escaping the Discount Death Spiral

When your competitors are stuck in the discount trap, that’s your opportunity. The strongest cannabis retailers don’t just attract new customers—they keep them coming back, more often and with higher basket sizes. And they’re doing it without slashing margins.

In this session, we’ll show you how loyalty programs and gamified rewards are outperforming discounting at every turn, backed by real customer data, store-level case studies, and insights from loyalty marketing strategists.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How loyalty and rewards programs increase customer lifetime value (LTV) and purchase frequency

• Why gamification works: the psychology behind points, streaks, and behavioral reinforcement

• How to audit your current discount strategy and shift to a loyalty-first approach

This session is designed for dispensary operators, retail marketers, and brand teams who are tired of chasing short-term gains and are ready to build long-term customer value.

Whether you're starting from scratch or upgrading an underperforming loyalty system, this webinar will give you the playbook to make loyalty your competitive edge.

🎁 “Discount Escape Plan”

All attendees receive this step-by-step roadmap to shift away from discount dependence and toward sustainable, loyalty-driven revenue.

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Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!

Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJel

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/

Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJel

Let's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

Episode 1 of the Series: Escaping the Discount Death Spiral

Margins are shrinking, and discounts are to blame.

Even when traffic is strong, brands and dispensaries across the U.S. are watching profits erode under the weight of discounts. This episode of Cannabis Marketing Live takes you inside the numbers to show how and why the industry has fallen into a discount spiral, and what to do before it’s too late.

We’ll reveal national and state-level data from Headset.io with Data Scientist Mitchell Laferla spotlighting where discounting is most aggressive, why states like Michigan and California are driving the trend, and how consumer behavior is shifting in response. More importantly, we’ll show you what to do about it: how to move from blanket discounts to smarter, data-driven strategies that protect your margins, increase basket size, and keep customers loyal without racing to the bottom.

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Here’s what you’ll learn

The Numbers Behind Discounts: National and state-level data showing where discounting is most severe (CA, MI, and more).

The Hidden Margin Killers: Why bigger discounts often shrink cart size and reduce long-term customer value.

Smarter Strategies: How to use basket analysis, attachment rates, and value-based products to discount strategically.

Plus: You’ll walk away with our free 90-Day Discount Escape Plan, plug-and-play model that lets you test your own numbers, spot red flags, and map out a more profitable path forward.

This session is for multi-location dispensaries, retail operators, marketers, and brand leaders who are done with the hamster wheel of discounts and want a sustainable growth strategy.

Reddit is one of the most overlooked yet powerful tools for cannabis and CBD businesses. While other social platforms are saturated with short-lived trends and surface-level engagement, Reddit offers something far more valuable: real conversations with real people who are genuinely interested in cannabis, wellness, and emerging brands.

We’re thrilled to be joined by Danny Kirk, Founder of ReddiReach and creator of the Let’s Market Your Business on Reddit course. Danny is a long-time Redditor, strategist, and educator who’s helped brands of all kinds authentically grow on Reddit through community-first thinking and platform-native tactics. He’ll be sharing his proven approach to building visibility and engagement without relying on paid ads.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

How to find the right subreddits for your brand—and what to know before you post

What makes Reddit content stand out and get upvoted by the community

How to build trust and credibility without sounding like a marketer

How to use Reddit for consumer research, feedback loops, and content inspiration

If you’re managing a dispensary, launching a DTC wellness brand, or just exploring ways to reach more customers organically, this session is packed with tips you can use immediately. You'll also get our Reddit Content Planner for Cannabis Brands, a free downloadable resource that includes weekly post templates, subreddit lists, title formulas, and engagement tactics to guide your first 30 days of Reddit strategy.

This webinar is built for cannabis and CBD brand owners, marketers, content teams, and agencies who want to reach their audience without running into compliance walls. If you’ve been struggling to find platforms that actually allow you to grow, this session is your blueprint.

Save your spot today and learn how to use Reddit for education, brand building, and authentic community engagement.

Many cannabis marketers struggle to connect the dots between their advertising efforts and sales. The truth is customers rarely convert after seeing just one ad. Instead, they engage with multiple touchpoints on their buyer’s journey — CTV, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH), Display, Google Search, SEO, and more—before making a purchase. Yet, most businesses still rely on outdated last-click attribution, which only credits the final interaction and ignores the role of brand awareness and the halo effect.

In this webinar, we’ll break it all down in simple terms. You’ll learn what an attribution model is, why it matters, and how to assign value across different marketing channels properly. No more guessing which ads are working—this session will help you measure and optimize your marketing for real results.

Key Topics Covered:

Understanding the Halo Effect – how brand awareness drives conversions across all channels.

Types of attribution models: Last-Click, Linear, Time Decay, Position-Based, and Data-Driven.

How to assign weights to each media channel, from CTV and DOOH to Display, Native, and Paid Search.

Simple steps to set up an MTA model without getting lost in complex data.

Meet Your Expert:

Joining us is Alexander Morrise, PhD, Head of Graph Data Science and AI at building Louie.ai, who has helped countless businesses move beyond spray and pray advertising to data-backed decision-making. With years of experience in programmatic advertising and analytics, Jake and Alexander will provide real-world examples to help you grasp the power of attribution.

What You’ll Walk Away With:

A clear understanding of how customers engage with your ads across different platforms.

The ability to identify and leverage assist channels—even if they don’t drive immediate conversions.

A framework for measuring the real impact of your cannabis marketing investments and adjusting spend accordingly

Confidence in using attribution models to improve decision-making and increase revenue.

This session is designed for all business owners and marketers who want to stop wasting money on ineffective ads and start making informed, data-driven decisions. No technical expertise required—just a willingness to learn how modern marketing works.

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Want more great cannabis marketing tips?!

Join thousands of others and gain access to exclusive cannabis marketing content, timely regulatory news, and advertising support: www.mediajel.com/cannabis-business-resource/

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MediaJel

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mediajel/

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mediajel/

Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter): www.twitter.com/MediaJel

Let's strategize about your business: www.mediajel.com/contact-us/

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